At MyRoami, we wanted to see how travel eSIMs perform in a situation remote workers regularly encounter - moving between a major urban hub and a quieter residential area.
The goal was simple: determine which eSIM remains reliable when you leave the strongest coverage zones and start working from locations where network performance may be less predictable.
The eSIMs tested were:
Winner: Roamless delivered the strongest overall performance in our testing, combining the fastest speeds recorded in the study with excellent real-world performance in Belgrade's busiest tourist area. Nomad finished second thanks to its reliability across both environments, while Holafly secured third with the most consistent all-round performance.
After combining the results from both locations and evaluating speed, stability, navigation, messaging, streaming, and connection reliability, three providers emerged as the strongest overall performers.
Verdict: Roamless ranked first overall thanks to its outstanding city-center performance, where it recorded the fastest speed in the entire test while maintaining excellent navigation, messaging, and streaming. Although its residential-area results were much weaker, its exceptional performance under heavy network demand secured the top spot overall.
Key results:
Verdict: Nomad ranked second overall by delivering the strongest balance between speed and reliability across both test locations. It consistently handled navigation, messaging, and streaming without issues, making it one of the most dependable eSIMs in this study.
Key results:
Verdict: Holafly ranked third overall by performing well in both the residential area and the city center without any major weaknesses. While it did not top either individual test, its consistent real-world performance made it one of the safest choices for travelers moving between different environments.
Key results:
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The first round of testing took place in Karaburma, a residential neighborhood on the outskirts of Belgrade. We selected this location to represent the kind of area where travelers often stay when working remotely, renting apartments, visiting friends, or spending time outside the busiest parts of the city.
Rather than measuring how eSIMs perform in a major urban hub, this test focused on connectivity away from the strongest network infrastructure. All providers were tested under identical conditions using the same device and methodology, allowing us to compare how well they handled navigation, messaging, video streaming, and everyday mobile usage in a less central location.
The results revealed significant differences between providers, with some maintaining strong performance outside the city center while others struggled considerably.
The top three performers in the outskirts of Belgrade are:
Verdict: Saily ranked first in the residential-area test, delivering the fastest download and upload speeds of any provider in Karaburma. Combined with reliable navigation, messaging, and smooth video streaming, it provided the strongest overall experience outside the city center.
Key results:
Verdict: Holafly ranked second in the residential-area test thanks to its strong download speeds and dependable everyday performance. Despite relatively low upload speeds, it handled navigation, messaging, and streaming smoothly, making it one of the most reliable providers in the quieter location.
Key results:
Verdict: Airalo ranked third in the residential-area test by combining competitive download speeds with the lowest latency among the leading providers. Fast navigation, responsive messaging, and stable video playback made it one of the strongest performers outside the city center.
Key results:
Here are all the performers other performers in the outskirts of Belgrade, ranked best to worst:
| Provider | Download | Upload | Ping | |
| Saily |  | 60,96 Mbps | 8,73 Mbps | 97 ms |
| Holafly |  | 53.51 Mbps | 0.85 Mbps | 147 ms |
| Airalo |  | 51,1 Mbps | 0,79 Mbps | 59ms |
| Instabridge |  | 43,53 Mbps | 0,35 Mbps | Ping: 117 ms |
| Nomad |  | 23.7 Mbps | 0.21 Mbps | 111 ms |
| GoMoWorld |  | 20,29 Mbps | 1,34 Mbps | 84 ms |
| BNESIM |  | 18.9 Mbps | 0.17 Mbps | 117 ms |
| Roamless |  | 4,83 Mbps | 0,52 Mbps | 107 ms |
| Ubigi |  | 1,33 Mbps | 0,07 Mbps | 29 ms |
| Jetpac |  | / | / | / |
Note: On the first try, on Saturday, Jetpack didn’t work and couldn’t connect to a local network. We tested it two times. We gave it a second try on Sunday and Jetpack, again, didn’t connect.
The second round of testing took place in the center of Belgrade on a busy Saturday night. Unlike the quieter Karaburma test location, the city center represented the kind of environment where travelers are most likely to rely on mobile data while competing with thousands of other users connected to the same networks.
This location was selected to simulate real tourist conditions, including crowded streets, restaurants, nightlife areas, and major pedestrian zones. Alongside speed tests, each provider was evaluated on navigation, messaging, and video streaming to determine whether higher speeds translated into a better real-world experience.
The top three performers in the city center are:
Verdict: Roamless ranked first in Belgrade city center with the fastest speed recorded in the entire study. Combined with flawless navigation, messaging, and video streaming, it delivered the strongest overall experience in the busiest environment we tested.
Key results:
Verdict: Nomad ranked second in the city-center test by combining exceptional speeds with consistently reliable real-world performance. Navigation, messaging, and streaming remained smooth throughout, making it one of the strongest providers under heavy network demand.
Key results:
Verdict: Holafly ranked third in the city-center test thanks to its strong speeds and dependable performance across all everyday tasks. Aside from a brief live-location synchronization delay, it delivered a consistently smooth experience in one of the busiest parts of Belgrade.
Key results:
Here are all the performers other performers in the center of Belgrade, ranked best to worst:
| Provider | Download | Upload | Ping | |
| Roamless | | 1334,43 Mbps | 96,42 Mbps | 86 ms |
| Nomad | | 879,50 Mbps | 95,61 Mbps | 103ms |
| Holafly | | 628,18 Mbps | 86,58 Mbps | 113 ms |
| BNESIM | | 583,16 Mbps | 71,38 Mbps | 105 ms |
| Instabridge | | 570,03 Mbps | 139,13 Mbps | 106 ms |
| GoMoWorld | | 228,54 Mbps | 70,21 Mbps | 79 ms |
| Ubigi | | 221,33 Mbps | 8,73 Mbps | 85 ms |
| Saily | | 202,87 Mbps | 84,67 Mbps | 81 ms |
| Airalo | | 157,99 Mbps | 101,03 Mbps | 55 ms |
| Jetpac | | / | / | / |
One of the biggest challenges for travelers is maintaining a reliable connection while moving between different parts of a destination. A provider that performs well in a city center may not always deliver the same experience in residential neighborhoods or areas farther from the strongest network infrastructure.
This test revealed major differences in how providers adapted between the two environments.
The results show that location can have a significant impact on eSIM performance. Travelers who expect to move between city centers, residential neighborhoods, and less central areas should consider not only peak speeds but also how consistently a provider performs across different network environments.
To compare overall performance, we averaged the results from both test locations. This helps identify providers that performed well regardless of environment rather than excelling in only one scenario.
We already covered the top three, but here is a full breakdown of global performance for all of the eSIMs:
| Provider | Download | Upload | |
| Roamless | | 669.63 Mbps | 48.47 Mbps |
| Nomad | | 451.6 Mbps | 47.91 Mbps |
| Holafly | | 340.84 Mbps | 43.72 Mbps |
| Instabridge | | 306.77 Mbps | 69.74 Mbps |
| BNESIM | | 301.03 Mbps | 35.78 Mbps |
| Saily | | 131.92 Mbps | 46.7 Mbps |
| GoMoWorld | | 124.42 Mbps | 35.78 Mbps |
| Airalo | | 104.55 Mbps | 50.91 Mbps |
| Ubigi | | 111.33 Mbps | 4.4 Mbps |
| Jetpac | | / | / |
This test was designed to measure more than raw speed. Travelers depend on mobile data for navigation, messaging, ride-hailing apps, bookings, and video streaming, often while moving between different environments throughout a trip.
To compare providers fairly, we evaluated each eSIM based on:
Providers that delivered strong speeds while maintaining smooth real-world usability received higher rankings than providers that relied on speed alone. This is why Roamless, Nomad, and Holafly finished at the top of the final rankings.
| Location | Type | Time | Device |
| Karaburma, Belgrade | Residential area | 4:34 PM | iPhone 13 |
| Belgrade City Center | Tourist hotspot | 9:30 PM | iPhone 13 |
The best global eSIM provider
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A reliable eSIM provider for budget travelers
From $2.4/week
The best global eSIM provider
From $2.3/week
A reliable eSIM provider for budget travelers
From $2.4/week
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